The Dreamland Express

Every night, when the clock strikes eight, something magical happens at the edge of Sleep Street. A silver train appears from nowhere, its wheels made of moonbeams and its whistle sounding like a lullaby.

This is the Dreamland Express.

Young Maya had heard stories about the magical train, but she'd never seen it herself—until tonight.

"All aboard!" called the conductor, a friendly owl wearing a shimmering blue cap. "Next stop: Dreamland!"

Maya climbed aboard and found a seat by the window. The train was filled with sleeping children, their faces peaceful and smiling.

"Is this real?" Maya asked the owl.

"It's as real as you want it to be," the owl winked.

The train whooshed through clouds of cotton candy pink and sailed over oceans of liquid starlight. They passed mountains made of pillows and forests where the trees sang gentle songs.

"First stop: the Candy Cloud Kingdom!" announced the owl.

Children got off to play on bouncy marshmallow hills and slide down rainbow slides. Maya joined them, laughing as she splashed in a pond of warm honey.

"Next stop: the Animal Friend Forest!"

Here, tigers were cuddly, elephants told jokes, and every creature wanted to be friends. Maya rode on the back of a gentle dragon who purred like a cat.

"Final stop: the Castle of Sweet Dreams!"

The castle sparkled with a thousand crystals. Inside, the Dream Queen greeted them. "Welcome, children. Here, you may dream any dream you wish."

Maya closed her eyes and dreamed of flying, of adventures, of everything wonderful she could imagine.

When she woke, she was back in her own bed, the morning sun warming her face. She smiled, already looking forward to tonight's journey on the Dreamland Express.

The End